Mother's support in NICU: A Focused Ethnographic Study

Abstract Background: Mothers of premature infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) have complex needs and require a significant amount of support during the NICU admission. However, little is known about Iranian mothers support needs in the NICU. To explore Iranian mother’s experience of support in the NICU as well as explore nursing perceptions of mothers needs and practices that support mothers in the NICU.Methods: A focused ethnographic approach was adopted. Observation and interviews with 21 mothers, 18 nurses and 5 doctors were undertaken over a seven month period. Qualitative data analysis was conducted using the Roper and Shapira (2000) five-step framework. Result: The specific support needs of mothers of neonates in the NICU did not appear to be adequately identified by the treating healthcare team. There was also poor communication and inadequate sharing of information regarding the neonate’s clinical condition, diagnosis and treatment between both medical/nursing staff and the mother. This appeared to be a source of maternal distress. Conclusion: Cultural perspective Iranian nurses perceive providing support to mothers as an act of human kindness, a new paradigm is required where supporting mothers becomes a fundamental component of care provision.